Wrangell Kings on Trokar hooks and Bucktail flys
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:09 pmWrangell, Alaska
The fishing season has been over here for almost a month now, but as I look out my window, it’s so calm and inviting, I feel stupid for not being out there drowning a herring! But, it doesn’t take me very long to realize that all the paperwork that comes with owning a charter business is still on my desk waiting for me. Bummer…
The King Salmon run for the Stikine River this year was somewhat mediocre in size, actually about 29,000 fish under the prediction made by ADF&G in early spring. So, with lowered daily bag limits, tapered annual limits and less than impressive run size, I prepared for the difficulties I could face trying to put my clients on some quality fish, but I was ready for the challenge!
The fish started to show up in spurts in mid May at a couple of my favorite spots. I started out right away with my favorite rig, the 6” magnum Grand Slam Bucktail fly in blue & white glow. Rigged on a 30 inch leader of 50# mono and two 5/0 Trokar Octopus hooks, all that was left to fly this rig was the blue and chrome Hot Spot flasher. Add a smear of Pro-Cure herring oil on the flasher and it’s in the water. This setup was my standard all summer and it produced close to 100 Kings in the boat. I can say without a doubt that a big part of the success my clients had this year came from the Trokar Octopus hooks I started using. I have never seen a hook penetrate both the upper and lower jaw of a big King better than those hooks! Some of the hook ups were so impressive that I had to cut the Trokar’s out of the fish! The pictures speak for themselves. Incredible hook ups, happy clients.
Overall, the Kings continued to get better as we approached June and beyond, but continued to show up in smaller concentrations. But, when you found them, the fishing was really good! Several times I would have the client’s limits in very short order! I was very happy at how the Kings were holding and that I could go back to the same spot the next day and be just as successful as the day before. The Kings averaged 22 to 26 pounds with quite a few pushing 30 pounds. The biggest King of the season was landed at the Bend and weighed in at 39 pounds! Beautiful fish… Trolling at 2.5 knots and downrigger spreads from 25 to 50 feet consistently produced amazing, bright, fight to end Kings!
Have a great week!
John Yeager
Alaska Charters & Adventures
1-888-993-2750
http://www.wrangellalaskafishing.com
(on FaceBook @wrangellalaskafishing)
The fishing season has been over here for almost a month now, but as I look out my window, it’s so calm and inviting, I feel stupid for not being out there drowning a herring! But, it doesn’t take me very long to realize that all the paperwork that comes with owning a charter business is still on my desk waiting for me. Bummer…
The King Salmon run for the Stikine River this year was somewhat mediocre in size, actually about 29,000 fish under the prediction made by ADF&G in early spring. So, with lowered daily bag limits, tapered annual limits and less than impressive run size, I prepared for the difficulties I could face trying to put my clients on some quality fish, but I was ready for the challenge!
The fish started to show up in spurts in mid May at a couple of my favorite spots. I started out right away with my favorite rig, the 6” magnum Grand Slam Bucktail fly in blue & white glow. Rigged on a 30 inch leader of 50# mono and two 5/0 Trokar Octopus hooks, all that was left to fly this rig was the blue and chrome Hot Spot flasher. Add a smear of Pro-Cure herring oil on the flasher and it’s in the water. This setup was my standard all summer and it produced close to 100 Kings in the boat. I can say without a doubt that a big part of the success my clients had this year came from the Trokar Octopus hooks I started using. I have never seen a hook penetrate both the upper and lower jaw of a big King better than those hooks! Some of the hook ups were so impressive that I had to cut the Trokar’s out of the fish! The pictures speak for themselves. Incredible hook ups, happy clients.
Overall, the Kings continued to get better as we approached June and beyond, but continued to show up in smaller concentrations. But, when you found them, the fishing was really good! Several times I would have the client’s limits in very short order! I was very happy at how the Kings were holding and that I could go back to the same spot the next day and be just as successful as the day before. The Kings averaged 22 to 26 pounds with quite a few pushing 30 pounds. The biggest King of the season was landed at the Bend and weighed in at 39 pounds! Beautiful fish… Trolling at 2.5 knots and downrigger spreads from 25 to 50 feet consistently produced amazing, bright, fight to end Kings!
Have a great week!
John Yeager
Alaska Charters & Adventures
1-888-993-2750
http://www.wrangellalaskafishing.com
(on FaceBook @wrangellalaskafishing)
- whitney.JPG (194.73 KiB) Viewed 2263 times
- trokar2.JPG (106.09 KiB) Viewed 2263 times